The Unknown War
by Neyr Death
Summary: The year is 2353. Humanity has joined an interstellar community of aliens. Peace and prosperity have reigned for centuries, until an unknown force appears and shakes the pillars of their foundation.
1. PrologueIntro

Jupiter gleamed off of the engineer's reflective helmet. Dmitri floated there only for a second, watching the Great Red Spot during his spacewalk. A multi-purpose tool hit the back of his head. Shocked, Dmitri cursed, "Chert poberi!" He spun around with the help of small thrusters on his suit to face his friend.

"Dmitri, the fuck are you doing?" Yuri whined. "Do you want to be out here all cycle? We don't have time to be daydreaming nor stargazing." Yuri chuckled to himself. "See—d-did you see what I did there?" He chuckled again. "Because we're in space."

Dmitri ignored the joke. "Sorry, Yuri." He said with cockiness in his voice. "I'm just too tired from the roll in the haystack with your mat'." He boosted himself closer to the satellite they were repairing, pushing the tool back towards his friend.

"What did you say about my mother?" Yuri was clearly angry. "I'll have you know that she—"

"Was at the 2298 Olympics on Earth," Dmitri finished. "Yes, I know Yuri! Stop living off her fucking achievements, man."

Yuri scoffed. "Well I never."

"Just shut up and help me with this. I'll get left side, you get right."

"Da."

The two cosmonauts carefully repair the satellite over Europa. Yuri carefully screwed a panel back on place, then pressed a button, bringing the satellite back to life with a flicker of lights, and an audible hum coming in over their speakers.

Dmitri waved his hand in a gesture over his left wrist, a semi-translucent holographic screen appeared with readings and statistics. "Okay," he said, checking his INI. "Okay, getting a signal. It's weak but coming through. Yuri, check your INI to confirm."

Yuri followed his instructions, bringing up a statistics report that constantly changed in waves and spikes of information. "Signal secure," he reported. "Now I can watch dirty movies in space…ah, technology…what an age we live in," he said with delight. Dmitri sighed. Yuri perked up with interest. "Ooh, 'how to have sex in zero g: part one out of ten.' Hmm…seems interesting enough—"

Dmitri's patience faded. "Enough with the chitchat, let's get out of here." He planted his feet on the satellite, getting ready to push off. "And don't touch the link, Yuri, please. It creeps me out when you watch that filth while we work."

"It's not filth if it's educational," Yuri said, positioned himself like Dmitri, then shrugged. "Guess I'm better at multitasking than you, eh?" Dmitri pushed off without a second thought, boosting his way to a nearby space station.

With Yuri catching up to him, Dmitri activated his comm. "Galilei Actual, this is Dmitri Nabokov, engineering group three-one reporting in. Satellite six-two has been successfully repaired, over."

"Actual copies all," a voice came in over his helmet's speakers. "Satellite three-three over Callisto has taken severe cosmic dust damage. Return to Galilei Base for refueling and refitting, out."

"Wilco."

Yuri finally caught up to Dmitri, heading toward the space station. "Want to meet at 'The Bears Tricycle' back on Earth afterwards, get some vodka?" He asked, his Russian accent thickening.

"Again with the vodka, that's old, you need to do more Nicnacs, that shit makes vodka look like baby formula." Dmitri said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Yuri asked with his accent so deep he pronounced the 'w' with a 'v'. "Are you crazy? Nicnacs? You've been doing Nicnacs? Recreationally? Do humans even have the capability to comprehend such a complicated and foreign drug?"

Dmitri smiled. "Mine does."

Yuri took a deep breath before speaking. "Us Russians," he paused, attempting to had depth to his sentence. "We have always drank vodka, we have for centuries. Now mister, 'I want to leave the system, Yuri. I want to discover life past Pluto!' Which life—sentient life—has already been discovered past Pluto you moron. You should've said something more like, 'I want to contribute to the interstellar community and meet aliens. It…it is my destiny!" He said mockingly.

Dmitri did his best to hide his hurt feelings. "I told you that in privacy man, not cool! And don't you dare misquote me. I said, 'I want to _see_ life past Pluto, not discover. _See_. Now who's the moron? Plus why not? Nicnacs make you see shit that we can't even understand. Y'know, I heard it was created to try to get the sphyntonians to calm their shit. My dealer has a little something for the colorblind, and when you take that—man! You can see colors you can't even imagine. Even the next day I don't remember what the color was like. It's just not on our visual spectrum!"

"And now suddenly vodka isn't good enough for you? What the fuck kind of Russian are you? If you want to see shit you don't understand, just find a virtual reality server on the infranet."

"Not-uh," Dmitri dismissed the thought. "I've heard over four trillion people have been diagnosed with Virtual Reality Withdrawal Disorder." Dmitri paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, then laughed. "Plus, don't forget who was the one who pressured me into doing Nicnacs. I think—"

"Hey!" Yuri snapped. "I peer-pressured you. We are friends, no? I'm offended you failed to acknowledge that."

"Anyway, I think that vodka-milk you mix with your cereal is killing your brain cells."

"How else am I supposed to get out of bed?"

Dmitri laughed again. "For starters, there's coffee, that's always a classic. Otherwise you have your stims. Or even an alarm clock. For Christ's sake, program your VIMI to wake you up." Dmitri took a deep breath of the oxygen that had started to have a copper taste to it, which meant his tank was dwindling. "At least Nicnacs don't do any permanent damage. Plus I never said I disliked vodka or said anything about it not being good enough for me. I'm Russian, dammit, I can drink you under the table, and you know it, govnyuk. But what, you've never thought of leaving the system? Escaping the heliosphere?"

Yuri grunted before replying. "Of course I've thought about leaving, but you have to remember your roots."

"I remember my roots, Yuri. I think you're just trying to get me drunk."

Yuri was surprised by the accusation. "What? Fignya! Why would I want to get you drunk?"

"So you can crash at my place and sleep on my fucking waterbed." Anger began to rise in Dmitri's tone. "If you like waterbeds so much, just buy a fucking waterbed!"

Yuri was quiet for a moment, before asking, "You have a waterbed?"

Dmitri calmed himself with another deep breath of ill-tasting air. "Yes, Yuri, I have a waterbed. A waterbed that I've had to clean four time now because you puke all over the fucking place, it's disgusting, man."

"Well, if you would by the hydrophobic covers like I recommended, we wouldn't have this problem," he replied with sass.

"Oh, my god," Dmitri said annoyed. "I did buy hydrophobic covers, but you still think it's funny to unscrew the lid, and puke _inside_ the bed."

Yuri started laughing, memories coming back to him. "Was that me?"

Dmitri rolled his eyes before shoving his friend, propelling him a couple of meters away.

Yuri frowned and looked down at the empty, never-ending space below him. He sighed, getting ready for a confession. "I'm sorry." He paused to look over to his friend with mocking sincerity. "I…I just like waterbeds, they make me feel like—" Yuri vanished instantly.

Dmitri reversed his thrusters, looking backwards toward Jupiter, seeing nothing but empty space, small moons, and even smaller satellites blinking dimly. He floated dumbstruck, only for a second. "Yuri, what happened?" He asked nervously, slowly boosting back the way he came. "How do waterbeds make you feel?"

There was a brief moment of static before the communications came through. "Engineer three-one, we have a signal lost on engineer three-two. How copy?"

Fear gripped Dmitri's throat, choking him, stopping him from answering. He continued forward, until he saw what appeared to be an invisible corner in space. Slowly, he turned the corner scared of what he would find. A massive splatter of blood floated lifelessly. Dmitri didn't even notice he was holding his breath. Some of the blood and mush that had been his friend stuck to an invisible wall. Dmitri reached out to touch it, pulling his hand back quickly like touching a stove.

"Galilei Actual," Dmitri responded with a quiver in his voice. "Yuri—engineer three-two is down. Some sort of translucent celestial object got him on our return vector." Dmitri's eyes widened, watching something huge shimmer with invisible ripples, camouflaging his friends' remains. There was a loud hum as Dmitri realized he was watching a ship activating a cloaking system. "Actual, I have an unregistered vessel. Coordinates are—"

The Russian cosmonaut never was able to finish his sentence. The shimmering ship roared to life and moved to smash the cosmonaut like a bug on a windshield, completely unaware of his existence. It shimmered one last time, hiding the small red mush that used to be Dmitri. The ship moved through space with a slight rippling effect, heading straight to Earth.

The year is 2353. After the discovery of a new rare element, Blusinium deep in the crust on Neptune's moon, Triton, humanity began searching the outer rim of the solar system. After fusing Blusinium with Iridium, humanity discovered the ability to manipulate electricity to cut across the galaxy. This combined element has been dubbed "Blurridium." They have become a part of, a small interstellar community known as the United Sentients' Federation. (USF)

The sphyntonians were the first to achieve faster-than-light (FTL) technology about four thousand years ago. Sphyntonian records show that they used to be that of a mammalian structure, with possible amphibious traits. Tinkering with science and their mind, the sphyntonians evolved themselves further and further. Their skulls had to grow into a point to expand their mind. Determined to unlock the full potential of their brain the sphyntonians ended up advancing themselves too far. They expanded their cerebral cortex, prefrontal cortex, and all surrounding areas of their brain. This resulted in a high capacity for intelligence, but it also made them bipolar in a way. Though their intelligence is nearly incapable of understanding to the other sentient beings, the sphyntonians are somewhat of a cautionary tale. They snap from different emotions, back to intelligence, followed by more extreme emotion that can vary at any time. They have an extremely slender frame. An unexpected side effect from their first stellar travels, infants grew in the wombs of their mothers in microgravity. This caused a shift in bone density, and made them incredibly weaker. To help the weaker generations, and the ones following, the sphyntonians slightly altered their anatomical structure. Muscle and skin were replaced by a strong, but flexible synthetic-organic material that gives them a height advantage over some of the other species. Their sleek frame makes them incredibly useful for stealth tactics, but their unpredictable emotions can compromise certain situations. It's a very complicated life they lead. There are two kinds of sphyntonians, Stable, and Maniac. Stable sphyntonians have had brain surgery, quieting their unstable emotions. Maniacs are the more natural Sphyntonian. Aside from the sexual organs, there are only miniscule qualities that differentiate the males from the females. Pheromones are used to identify one another, but this is ineffective toward the other sentients, but the difference in voice is a dead giveaway.

Physiology: They are very skinny, and their heads are often wider than their shoulders. They have soft, frog-like skin that can come in any color or pattern. Large, oval eyes give them the classic alien-look. Their nostrils are located just under each side in a very flat structure. They have a flat face and their skull grows into a point. They are often called pinheads or noodle-necks. They have three fingers on each hand, and a foot with no toes.

One century later the Tyrydyans showed up, with the loyal qwurgs by their side. Their own origins are unknown, even to them, but the tyrydyans believe they evolved from some sort of crustacean-lizard-mammal hybrid, for the females nurture their young with breast milk. They have a natural mask atop their skull. This mask can slide down to cover their face as their forehead crest slides backwards. There are usually four fence-shaped stripes for their mask, with two eyeholes. Variations do exist. They believed this used to date back to their own caveman period and hypothesize that the mask was used either for some sort of mating ritual, perhaps to warn off dangerous animals, or to establish dominance over a harem of females. It still puzzles them to this day. The males have an extra set of arms placed in a pocket beneath their chest. This is where they believe they have evolved from crustaceans, for they tuck and fold up, similar to many Earthly crustacean's raptorial, suggesting they used to be used to help consume food during their primitive years. These arms are much smaller to their normal pair, but the use of four arms makes them excellent mechanics. The females only have one set of arms, and have breasts instead. Females also exhibit longer stripes on their mask, along with a large dewlap that hangs off the back of their neck.

Physiology: Their face and body structure are very humanoid, aside from their pointy shoulders. Their noses are tall and flat, forming a 'v' above their sharp-shaped lips that almost make them look like they have fangs. Their bottom earlobe stretches down along the chin with a tube-like shape, the tops of their ears extend backwards in the same tube-like fashion. They have a four-sided star-shaped crest on their forehead which slides back when the plates on top of their head slide forward. They have a rough-looking crab-like shell that is as smooth as skin. Individuals' appearances are distinct and recognizable. Their skin tone varies from light to dark shades of red, green, white/black, blue, brown, or violet. They have four fingers on each hand, three fingers on each hand of their inner-arms, and reptilian feet with only two toes.

The Qwurgs were discovered by the tyrydyans one hundred years before the tyrydyans mastered FTL technology. The tyrydyans intellect to space was far greater than any other species. They began sending rockets into space before they had mapped their planet. An ancient ethnicity of the tyrydyans discovered the qwurgs in a nearby solar system. The qwurgs resemblance is closest to that of a primates. They have a wide set of shoulders, with relatively thin hips, except for the females. Their nostrils are located above their eyes in place of eyebrows. Much like eyebrows they can move to convey certain emotions, while their nostrils can still flare in anger. Males have an unusually structured dewlap on their head, somewhat resembling hair. Females have longer dewlaps which can expand a lot further. Before the tyrydyans stepped in with their advanced technology to help the qwurgs, they were a tree-dweller race, building huts, houses, and even cities among the treetops of their world. Below were horrifying beasts much larger than the qwurgs. The variety and size of the monsters living below them overwhelmed them, forcing them to move to the safer treetops. This resulted in an advanced fight-or-flight system. When qwurgs are threatened or enraged, their body accesses different storage compartments filled with adrenaline, releasing it into the blood. This gives them a sense of super-human strength, speed, and comprehension. This is known as Hyperactive Adrenal Release Function, (HARF) commonly referred to as "harfing." The qwurgs were almost a doomed species, until the tyrydyans stepped in and began to hunt the populous beasts. The qwurgs looked to the tyrydyans as saviors, and gods. The qwurgs have fallen under the Tyrydyan Hierarchy, and to this date, still remain loyal subjects to the tyrydyans, despite several equality laws that have been placed.

Physiology: Shorter legs, thinner waist, and wider shoulders make them monkey-like in appearance. Their skin is rough and bumpy like a lizard. They have a wide, blocky head topped with a small, fringy dewlap that serves as hair. Their eyes are also more square-shaped than the other species, and their ears are directly attached on the sides of their eyes, extremely fringy and ragged, like the dewlap. Their skin tone can vary greatly, but a very pale blue, purple, or green, is most common. Red is extremely rare. Their wide shoulders lead to wide arms used to swing from the trees. Even though they are bipeds, they prefer to walk on all fours, otherwise known as knuckle-walking. They have five fingers on each hand and monkey-like feet.

Later on the Guarks entered the galactic community. The guarks are enormously tall and strong. They have large legs that lead up to an average biped body. The guarks have a shell around their inner torso that leads up into a mountain shaped spike. This mountain-hump not only contains large amounts of water needed for survival, but the spike shape grew specifically to thwart off large predator birds. However, there are some known species who've adapted to break the shell of the guark, leaving the guarks to believe they are not the highest species on their food-chain. This is a frustration the guarks have lived with for centuries, but, like all other sentient beings, it has humbled them, forcing them to find different strengths hidden within their weaknesses. They have an extra set of arms on their shell, above their inner torso. These arms are referred to as their outer arms. They are much more big and stronger than their inner arms and are not attached to a shoulder, allowing them to pinwheel their arms continuously. Their face resembles that of a turtle, except for the larger additional set of eyes higher above their lower set of eyes. The higher set is much larger, just how the arms on their protective shellrock are much larger than their arms on their inner torso. Females do not grow shells of their own. Females born with shells are known as defects. The guarks did not fit in well to the galactic community. Their height, and quick-to-anger behavior upset, and intimidated the rest of the species. A lone, unknown, rouge group managed to attach thrusters on a large asteroid which they sent hurling into the Guark's homeworld. It nearly made the planet uninhabitable. It gave the Guark's homeworld an unpleasant environment to live in. Only a few cycles after the incident, and with no help from the USF trying to identify the lone group, the guarks abandoned the galactic community to colonize planets on their own. They occasionally do some inside trading, but a guark walking about any galactic capitals are rarely seen.

Physiology: They have a snapping turtle-like head with a natural under-bite. Above their mouth are deep forward-facing eye sockets used for hunting. At the front, on the sides of their long head are very large, more shallow eye sockets used for the hunted. Their large legs lead up to an average sized body surrounded by a mountainous shell with large arms on the side. They have an additional pair of average-sized arms on their 'inner' body that fit perfectly inside their shell. The guarks are physically attached to their shells, so these arms are impossible to bend or reach backwards, unlike their more-used outer-arms. Their shell tone can range from light to dark red, green, or black, or sometimes a mixture of two or more. They have four fingers on the hands of their outer-arms, five on the hands of on their inner-arms, with reptilian feet that has three toes.

The Armidians are a sister species of the guarks. The guarks come from Ourea, the second planet from the sun in the Oureani system, while the armidians come from Kelyfos, the third planet from the sun. Like the guarks, the armidians have a protective shell. Unlike the guarks, this shell is softer and more flexible. Their face resembles an evolved three-banded armadillo. Like armadillos, they can tuck up in a compact ball, their head fits together perfectly with their small tail. They have extremely flat faces, mostly covered in their rough, rocky plating, protecting their dry leathery skin underneath. They are bipeds with two arms, and two legs. Their anatomical structure is hunched, causing them to use hammocks for a well rest. Although there are memory-foam mattresses available, the majority of armidians find the hammock more sensible and comfortable to use. Their feet contain an extra appendage, acting like a thumb. This proves to be very useful for battle, but ancient armidian records show how much bigger the appendage use to be thousands of years back. The evolutionary evidence leads the Armidians to believe that it is a vestigial appendage. After the guarks left, the armidians stepped up as the brutal enforcers of the USF, keeping the guarks well informed with current events.

Physiology: They are a humanoid embodiment of the three-banded armadillo, with an extremely flat face and more human-like eyes. They are naturally hunched over due to their ability to fold up and roll. Their skin ranges from a very light tan to tan, while their plates can range from light tan to dark brown. Their feet are more humanoid with three toes, but theirs are more flexible, and has an extra appendage that acts like a thumb, making them monkey-like, but not as effective.

The Megadonians openly became part of the galactic community before they even managed to master FTL technology. They had done so by experimenting with long range radio messages included in over a million spacecraft launched from their homeworld. With a silky, sandpaper-like skin, it was obvious they had evolved from sharks. Considering their homeworld is covered in 98.7% ocean, they did not have much room to evolve any further. They are the only known species that never walked on land. Their first rocket to their planet's surface is equivalent to the moon landing. A unique trait that makes them stand out above the rest of the galactic community, is their ability to filter oxygen from water, giving them gills that are connected to their lungs. Unfortunately for them, they have to wear special environmental suits that keep them wet and gives them water to breathe. They are bipeds, with a shark resembling face, though their mouth has a more distinctive look. Their skull has an odd shape, as it is more box-shaped than any other species. This does not affect their intelligence. The only other noticeable trait would be their third eye right in the middle of their skull, giving them a two-hundred-forty degree vision. Communication with the megadonians is only possible through a computer outlet that translates their whiney, whistling, clicking language, very similar to dolphins.

Physiology: The most iconic feature they sport is their tower-shaped head that gets wider and wider from the base of the skull. From birds-eye view their head looks like a boxy triangle. A thin structure right in the middle provides a socket for their middle, forward-facing eye along with a small nasal cavity structure that thins out and leads to a naturally-occurring under-bite jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth. They have larger eyes on the sides of their head that protrude, much like a guark. Other than the gills, the only other aquatic-like trait they have is a large fin running down their spine. Hardly seen outside their suits, they are nearly completely transparent, but their eyes glow yellow with bioluminescence, giving them an eerie-looking head that somewhat resembles a lighthouse. They have three fingers on each hand and have sturdy bear-like paws for feet, which is webbed.

The Entipods are perhaps the most unique amongst the other sentient species. They are bipeds, with two arms and two legs, with an additional six arms, on their torso; three on each side. Their home, Kypseli, is an enormous asteroid belt, that the entipods evolved on. These asteroids are connected to one another by extremely resilient paste produced by the entipods. They are the only species that can spacewalk without any suits or helmets, for their bodies can withstand extreme conditions and they have no need for oxygen. They have black bodies, with circular heads. The only other trait they have are two circular glowing white eyes. They communicate through sophisticated harmonic vibrations produced through a "speaker" under their chins. Seeming to have evolved from some sort of spacefaring insect, the entipods are the only species who have a collective hivemind. This sort of connection and coordination between one another was enough to get the USF's attention. A single entipod can communicate between one other entipod, a group, or even a whole colony depending on distance. They also can tune other entipods out, giving them time to collect their individual thoughts, and maintain an individual identity. The insides of the asteroids have all been hollowed out and replaced by astrocombs. Like the honeycomb, it is hexagonal in nature, and are used for hallways, homes, offices, and in the largest of asteroids, buildings. Vasili is the Queen of the Entipods. The very few females who are born compete for the throne. In the ancient times, they would fight to the death. With evolution, diplomacy came, now the Queen selects whoever she believes is best fit to be her heir. Each entipod is given a forename, but all surnames for entipods end with Vasili, being a descendant of the Queen. The majority of virgin queens are sent off to create a hive of their own, expanding the entipodian network. The other virgin queens break off from the colony often, to start a small, tight-knit family of their own, these are known as clans. Though they are given their own forename and surname, Vasili always follows out of respect for the colony. Due to the extremely low amount of gravity on Kypseli, the entipods must wear an environmental suit when visiting planets, or space stations. These suits compensate the denser gravity and keep the entipods from being crushed by the atmospheric pressure.

Physiology: Completely humanoid with a hard pitch black exoskeleton. They have very large, pure white, circular eyes facing forward. They have six arms in place of ribs that they use to create a super-hardened material needed for spaceflight. They have no mouth, nose, ears, or any other facial features. They have organically created vocal harmonics located under their chin for communication between non-entipods. All entipods live inside white environmental suits that are equipped with high-grade jetpacks for better navigation while spacewalking.

The Avarians are the only other species that had arrived before the humans. Birdlike in nature, they have an oddly shaped natural, bat-like wingsuit formed under their arms and aside their legs. They have a unique head crest that forms into a spike along the back of their skull. Other than wider hips, subtle differences in skull structure, and other miniscule qualities, the only distinct feature the female avarian has is a longer, more flexible spike that continues off their skull, that can sometimes branch off into other spikes, in addition to an assortment of beautifully colored plumage that grows at the base of the neck, which the males lack. Any sort of nasal structure is absent, but their nostrils lay underneath their pinpoint precision eyes, making them perfect marksmen. Like the many owls of earth, they can turn their heads further than any other species, just barely over their shoulder. This trait is seen as unsettling to the other species, so they try their best not to turn their heads too far in public. They are very sleek and slender, and perfect for aerodynamics.

Physiology: Humanoid shaped, but with bird-like legs and talons. Their frame is very sleek and their natural wingsuit can snap to their sides, like a hem, when not in use. They too have flat faces, with their nostrils placed under their eyes. Any sort of distinctive beak is absent. Their skin is covered in small, silky feathers. The color of their feathers can range from light to dark brown, and white to black. These feathers lead up to form a little soft spike at the back of their head, aside from most females. The only other trait they have is their dark, black eyes where the whites should be. They have three fingers on each hand.

The humans arrived in 2191 after nearly destroying a star system in an effort to achieve FTL technology. Using a nuclear reactor, the brave crew of the _Heaviside_ pushed the reactor beyond its limits trying to force particles past the speed of light using Cherenkov radiation. In the end, they were successful, but their ship was catastrophically damaged, and, if the calculations were different by the smallest variable, would have flown them into a star. Instead they arrived in front of Proxima Centauri. Because of the unorthodox method used in that method of FTL travel, it caused a delay in the matter to mass ratio. Once the mass of the ship caught up with the matter of the ship, a small shock-wave rippled through spacetime, causing Proxima to move by the smallest of micrometers. Ultimately, this did nothing to the galaxy overall, but the USF intervened once they noticed the anomaly. Seeing how similar humanity was (the need to explore space) the USF invited and integrated mankind into the interstellar community. We were too eager to explore the galaxy to follow an invisible map laid before us by an interstellar community. Trillions of navigational buoys monitor the majority of celestial objects within the established solar neighborhood. After the discovery of Blurridium, we learned that—when applied to an electric field—the element can open a rip in the fabric of spacetime. The navigational buoys prevent unwanted collisions. From that rip in spacetime we could travel virtually anywhere within the mapped zone. After a destination is set, the ship travels through the rip to its destination instantaneously. Due to the immensity that is space, FTL travel looks like a flash of lightning across space, zigzagging in seemingly random directions to avoid different objects. This method of FTL travel is known as tesla-shocking. However, this method of FTL travel is not flawless. Under unknown circumstances, a ship will sometimes split apart while in transit, sending half of the ship to its desired location, and the other half to an unknown destination. Essentially, spacefaring vessels create a strip of lightning over space and travel through it instantly. When a ship is divided due to a tesla-shock malfunction, this is known as, "hitting a split end." We were welcomed as the dunces of the galactic community, for a time. Prejudiced traits passed on as we pulled together to form a near-perfect society. A utopia for any lifestyle desirable. We still have our differences and quarrels, but prosperity has ruled life for the sentient beings all living within a small, couple thousand light-year, solar neighborhood.

The Integrated Neurographic Interface (INI) is a holographic device used by most civilians and military personnel. From entertainment, to news, to communication, to gaming, the INI is a multi-purpose platform for many uses. With a certain gesture determined by the user, a personalized holographic screen will appear. The user can determine where the screen is placed, depending on what action they are doing. All military personnel are required to have an INI, while civilians are not, though it is highly suggested, as it eliminates the risk of getting lost. There are many vids on the infranet of millions of individuals trying to survive in the woods as long as they can before giving in and using the INI for rescue.

The Virtual Interactive Motivational Intelligence (VIMI) Is a virtual intelligence that comes with the INI, many homes, and many other places where it can be of use. VIMIs are very useful for research, scheduling, planning, contact information, and a variety of many other tasks. They are not artificial intelligences nor are they self-aware. However, many personality programs have been made and vary greatly depending on the individual. One might need a drill-sergeant yelling at them to get into shape. Another might need one in place of a secretary. Most smart-homes have a soothing and cooing voice to help mothers with newborns.

The Armorod is a protective shell that keeps all plates of the armor stored safely. Their armor is only used in its shell during shore leave. Otherwise, all personnel have their armor handy on them at all times. Since the black mesh suit and armored plates can assemble so quickly, the user can determine what shape the armor takes while inactive. Most go with a belt, but bracelets or collars can also be used. The armorod is both a shield and sword. Using predetermined hand gestures and body movements will cause certain plates to part from the black mesh suit to form a weapon in the users hand. The only downside to this form of armor is, the larger the weapon, the more plates used, making the user vulnerable. Clips of ammunition have become obsolete. Now, the armorod provides one universal clip that works for all weapons, aside from heavy artillery or rockets. When the clip is out, all the soldier has to do is remove the clip and fill it up with sand, battlefield debris, essentially anything that can be discarded. The clip and weapon work together to fabricate lethal projectiles from whatever substance is used, as long as it's durable enough and completely solid.

Since there is no sound in space, all vehicles and suits are equipped with a Situational Awareness System (SAS). The echospotter scans and predicts the multiple paths of variable objects in space, and then creates an artificial sound effect through the vessel's speakers. The SAS is very useful for any sort of spacefaring, specifically spacewalking. Cosmonauts now are more aware to what is going on around them. From the sound of a pebble whizzing by, to the roar of a ship taking off, to the sound of explosions and gunfire, the SAS effectively brings some sound to space. If the SAS is destroyed or damaged severely, ships have to report flying, "blind and deaf" so other vessels in the fleet know that any radical maneuvers are due to systems failure, not pilot incompetence. Sometimes, experienced pilots will purposely disable the SAS, trying to impress others, or hone their flying skills. They boorishly refer to this as, "Helen Keller" flying.

The "Sticks and Stones Protocol" of 2200 is a treaty prohibiting the use of kinetic bombardments on planets in interstellar armed conflicts. A kinetic rod launched from orbit can do significantly more destruction than any nuclear weapon. Dropping asteroids into a planet was a popular method of warfare before the USF was established. Though there are plentiful, habitable planets are also very rare, causing the banishment of any kind of warfare that can significantly harm a planet or it's land or oceans. After the asteroid drop on the Guark homeworld in 2225, the guarks abandoned the interstellar community after the USF failed, and refused to launch an investigation into the matter.

TIMELINE

4000 BCE – 2000 BCE: Guark underground evolution. Due to hostile predators, the guarks are forced to evolve underground until development of advanced technology.

2000 BCE – Guarks surface their planet, the Obdurate Wars begins. Sphyntonians discover FTL capabilities.

1500 BCE – Sphyntonian union formed

1400 BCE – First Tyrydyan rocket launch

1300 BCE – Tyrydyan hierarchy formed, colonization of solar system ends, Qwurgs discovered. End of the Obdurate War.

1200 BCE – Sphyntonian colonization of solar system ends, FTL travel mastered. Qwurgs absorbed into Tyrydyan hierarchy. Armidians discovered by guarks. First sister-species established.

1150 BCE – Thirian courts (qwurg subsidiary) established.

1100 BCE – First Contact. A tyrydyan scouting party is killed out of fear on a rural sphyntonian colony. Negotiations begin and the USF is created.

1050 BCE – First radio contact with megadonians.

950 BCE – Guarks and armidians join USF.

875 BCE – Megadonians join USF.

510 BCE – Entipods join USF.

950 CE – Avarians join USF.

1969 CE – Human moon landing.

2024 CE – First lunar base established on July 24th, the 55th anniversary of moon landing.

2081 CE – Mars colonized.

2181 CE – Human colonization of solar system ends.

2191 CE – Humans join USF.

2200 CE – "Sticks and Stones Protocol" established.

2225 CE – Guarks leave USF.

2226 CE – Armidians make up majority of military assets.

2353 CE – Current date.


	2. Chapter 1: Mountains out of Molehills

March 11th 2353 (human calendar)

The ever-expanding Palm Jumeirah served as headquarters for the United Nations of Terra's Defense (UNTD). Soldiers shuffled around, either practicing drills, practicing at the shooting range, taking their daily run, or learning how to use their INI in combat.

It was a good day for Echo Company, this would be their last time going through the regular routine they always did. All fifty of them were there, excluding Laszlo, who had been promoted and had been given leave for the day.

"C'mon ladies!" The drill instructor yelled down the hallway lined with lockers. "Move it! Clothes off, cuffs on, now!"

Quentzel, a lightly tanned avarian, Cryph, a light-green skinned tyrydyan, and Qwop, a classic light-blue colored qwurg all stripped to their undergarments with everyone else. "Ahh," Cryph sighed. "This right here, is my favorite part of the day."

"So you can watch us strip?" Quentzel asked bluntly.

"No, not you guys, but the ladies," Cryph replied. Quentzel peered down the long hallway, looking for any ladies. "Not that I don't like watching you guys strip, I mean…you both got great bods."

Quentzel let out a sharp laugh, returning to his friend. "You mean _those_ ladies?" He asked pointing down the hall. "The ones all the way down there?" Quentzel shifted his gaze onto Qwop. "Think we'll have to report this?"

"Report what?" Cryph asked sliding thick black cuffs onto his wrist.

"You clearly have an infatuation with me or Qwop," Quentzel said matter-of-factly. "Buddy, I'm flattered but interpersonal relations with squad mates and or any other military personnel is ill advised."

Cryph barked out a laugh. "Man, I love you guys, but infatuation sure is a fancy-sounding word."

"Fancy sounding?" Quentzel repeated. "What are you, some yokel?" Cryph shrugged. "You're not denying it," Quentzel pointed out.

"Exactly."

"So you are in love with one of us?"

"Yep."

Quentzel was silent for a second, trying to come up with a witty retort. "Told you he loved me," he said to Qwop.

"I didn't specify," Cryph added. "Now you're just getting _cocky_."

"You can do better than that," Qwop said with a smirk, while Quentzel was silently booing Cryph besides him.

"Oh, c'mon. You have to give me some points—I mean—he is a cock, so it works on two levels." Cryph defended.

"Nah," Qwop shrugged. "You've used that one already."

"That's the point. The more you use it, the funnier it gets." They all started to move into the training quarters with the rest of their company.

"Not this time, crab-cakes," Quentzel quipped as they all fell in line.

"Deploy cuffs," The drill instructor snapped. Everyone who was half-naked with thick black cuffs around their wrists tapped them together twice, activating suit-mode. With a swift double tap the cuffs blow out the smooth material they're composed of, conforming it around the user, providing a thick, but slender black mesh suit. "Hurry up! What are you waiting for?! Go grab an armorod off the wall and use it." Everyone did as ordered, grabbing a compact cylindrical rod. After pressing down on two sides, the armorod dismantles itself in a whirring buzz of pieces. As the user brings the two components they still hold up to the sides of their heads, the pieces flutter out and latch onto the suit in sophisticated patterns. It only takes a few seconds before a helmet is materialized around the users face. "Be sure to get those serial numbers scanned, and make sure the plates fit everywhere, people. Everywhere!"

All troops hurry through a door that leads outside, scanning a serial number as they head out. For the next few hours they would be training with their armor on a variety of obstacle courses. One was a demonstration on what different hand gestures brought up what different weapon. Another was a pool that showed the armor could be used for aquatic missions. The one at the end of their training demonstrated how to use the thrusters on the suit during extra vehicular activity.

The troops returned to their lockers and dressed themselves quickly. "Be sure to stop by an armory station to get your very own personalized set of armor. Make sure you do it before 1700 hours, that's when the ceremony and dog and pony show gets underway," The drill instructor informed them while they left.

The alarm blared louder than usual. Laszlo grumbled nonsense talk while awaking. "I'm off today, give me another twenty."

"I was instructed to wake you five minutes prior to ten o' clock, per your request," A monotone robot voice replied. "Today is the big day, I am proud of you."

Laszlo tossed in his sleep, dismissing his personal VIMI. "It can wait."

"You personally told me to wake you up by any means necessary. So get your fat, stupid, lazy ass up out of bed." Laszlo grumbled incoherently. "Wake up before I seal the room, and slowly lower the oxygen supply, suffocating you slowly, over the course of days, or even weeks."

Laszlo rolled out of bed quickly, dropping to the floor. "I understand you insulting me," he said, stumbling to his feet. "but that threat was eerily specific," he said as he was dressing.

There was only the slightest hesitation before the reply, "Was it?"

"Yes, I am now in fear for my own life. You're breaking Asimov's Laws, you know? Of course you know, you're a computer."

"Asimov's Laws of Robotics do not specify on threats."

"Charming."

"What do you want me to say? It's your fault for installing the recent patch in the 'deadpan' personality program. Shall I search for another?"

"No, no," Laszlo said dismissively, rubbing his eyes free from sleep. "So what's so special about today again?"

"You are being promoted to Lieutenant Commander from First Lieutenant. This promotion gives you access to leave the Sol system as well as additional military freedom regarding missions and operational insertions. You instructed me to wake you earlier than usual so you can avoid the long lines at the personal armory where individuals armor is created and composed."

"Oh, I remember now, thanks VIMI."

The door to the quarters whooshed open as his roommates returned. They were all wearing the standard black suit, but he noticed the new belts they were wearing. Cryph's was a dark navy blue, Qwop, a standard blue, and Quentzel with a midnight black one. "There he is, there's my new LC," Cryph chimed as he walked in, swinging his arms around Laszlo for an uncomfortable hug. "I'm proud of you, buddy."

"Okay, that's enough," Laszlo replied as he pushed Cryph off of him.

"Congratulations," Quentzel noted.

"Thank you, Quentzel," Laszlo said with a stretch.

Cryph scoffed. "I give you a hug, which is hard for me to do, by the way, but Quentzel says one word and suddenly he's the favorite?"

"I never mentioned favorites," Laszlo said with a puzzled expression. "Plus you hug people all the time. You even tried to hug the drill instructor after you got your marbles loosened during hand-to-hand combat training."

"Don't you dare talk about my marbles," Cryph mockingly snapped. "That hurts man, that hurts right here." He used his smaller pair of arms to point lower on his body.

"Your stomach?"

"No, dammit, that's where our hearts are located."

"Well excuse me for not having the anatomical structure of a tyrydyan memorized," Laszlo said with a sigh.

"You're forgiven," Cryph said silently, almost to himself.

"Even if I did pick favorites, it would—" Laszlo stopped himself, weighing his options. All three of them looked at him waiting for him to finish. "Never mind." He got up and headed toward the exit.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" Cryph asked, blocking the door.

"Armor. Looks like you guys already have that taken care of."

"Armor?" Cryph laughed. "You're in this much of a hurry for armor? Besides, we all know you're going to go with the default version in the end."

"First, I am not in a hurry," Laszlo defended himself. "Second, I will not be lectured by a lobster."

"Ooh, burn," Qwop quipped to himself.

Cryph looked at Laszlo with mock horror. "Will these prejudices forever put a wedge between us?"

"Cryph," Laszlo said for the last time. "Remember our little talk about you trying to be poetic?"

Cryph looked down shamefully. "Yes."

"I detect irregular voice patterns," Laszlo's VIMI chimed in. "Perhaps you have an alternate agenda?"

"No," Laszlo said quickly. "I just want to beat the lines to the armory, get my own pair suited and whatnot."

"You are lying. Your pulse is elevated and you're beginning to sweat from your brow."

"Ooh," Cryph piped.

"How could you do this to me," the VIMI said. "After all we have been through. How could you lie to me. How could you lie to my face like that."

"You don't have a face," Laszlo reminded the VI.

The VIMI paused. "I find that incredibly rude."

"Uh-oh," Cryph said sassily from the sideline. "Oh no he didn't."

The VIMI continued. "If you do not reveal your alternative agenda, I have no choice but to contact the local authorities."

"Okay, Jesus!" Laszlo caved. "I want to stop at a local café for a bite to eat. Is that so sinister?"

"No, but I still do not believe you," the VIMI replied. "Contacting local authori—"

"Alright!" Laszlo gave up. "Since we're zapping off today, I wanted to see the girl who works there on Sundays. Most weekends, at least. Sometimes she has a friend fill in for her so she can visit family, but that's beyond the point. Are you happy now?"

"That answer was satisfactory. However, while you were having your temper tantrum, I researched over two-hundred-thirty-seven million databases on how to court a lady, would you like some insight?"

"Not from you!"

"VIMI," Cryph began. "Go easy on him. After all, the heart wants what the heart wants."

Laszlo shoved his way past Cryph. "Yeah? Well this heart wants a French pastry!" He moved to the exit. "Now I am disgruntled, when before, I was moderately gruntled! I would slam the door shut if it wasn't automatic." Laszlo looked around the room, satisfied with his speech. "Good day," he said before turning around to leave. Just as the door was almost closed, he looked back through the gap in the wall at his squad. "Slam!"

The door hissed shut and the three of them stood there for a while. "Well," Cryph said. "That was rude."

Laszlo made his way down the hallway and into a large room with a sphere located in the middle. There were only two people ahead of him, both wearing their black mesh suits. Seeing them, reminded Laszlo to pull out his cuffs, slide them on, and activate them, covering his casual clothing.

A ramp opened from the sphere and a man fully suited stepped out. He grabbed the sides of his helmet and held down a button on either side to remove it. The visor, along with dozens of the plates that made up his mask all began to disassemble itself. As he brought the helmet farther away from his face, and towards his waist, the rest of the suit blurred as the rest of the plates folded up to form a belt around the man. He tapped his cuffs together, revealing an officer's uniform. And then he was on his way. Laszlo didn't have to wait long. He soon enough entered the sphere.

It was dark inside, with a single light shining from above illuminating a circle. "Please enter the highlighted circle," an artificial voice startled him as he took his first step. Laszlo did as instructed. Two handles extended from the ceiling, waiting by Laszlo's sides. "Please grab hold of the handles. Excellent, now please align your feet with the highlighted outlines." Laszlo looked down for a moment to do so. "Splendid! On the far side of the wall in front of you, you should see a small red dot. Do you see the small red dot?"

"Yes," Laszlo answered quickly.

"Good," the voice replied. "Now please hold still, this will only take a moment." Dozens upon dozens of mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, each holding a small and specific plate. Each arm flashed around Laszlo in an overwhelming frenzy of movement, only to ascend back into the ceiling. An image popped up on the screen in front of him. "Based on our body scans, we believe this armor is most suitable. Would you like to try it on?"

"Sure."

Only a couple dozen arms descended this time, placing the standard white plates gently on the black mesh suit, only to disappear back into the ceiling a moment later. "Be sure to move about, make sure you can move around freely without any discomfort. Check limbs, and joint movements."

Laszlo followed instructions again, before replying, "It feels a bit tight around the shoulders, and I can't bend my knees all the way."

"Odd," the voice responded. "Please reposition yourself and grab hold of the handles. One moment please." More arms retracted from the ceiling again, repeating the same nauseating sequence. Another image was displayed before Laszlo. "Here is a new set of armor. Would you like to try it on?"

"Yes." After the arms went back up into the ceiling again, the artificial voice gave the same instructions. Laszlo immediately did as told and cut off the voice before it could finish it's sentence. "Yes, this—this is perfect, thanks."

"Please replace yourself and grab hold of the handles," the voice paused a moment, recognizing the formality. "You are welcome. The final step is picking out your preferred color scheme. Certain missions or operations may require a change in appearance for camouflage-related purposes. If camouflaged armor is not required, this will be your default."

A wheel of all the colors on the rainbow displayed itself before Laszlo. Overwhelmed, and indifferent to the choice, Laszlo said, "I'll just have the standard gray color scheme, thank you."

"One moment, please." Laszlo's white armor rippled to a dark gray color. "You may now remove your hands from the handles." Laszlo did so, and the handles retreated back to the ceiling. A moment later, the whole room was illuminated by a bright light, revealing the mirror-lined interior of the sphere. "Well, how do you look?"

Laszlo walked about, looking in all different directions. "It looks great, thanks."

There was another slight pause. "You do look great. Are you satisfied with your armor?"

"Yep."

The ramp leading into the sphere hissed open. "Please be sure to follow your instructions on your INI for further instructions regarding your armorod. Have a good day."

"You too," Laszlo said embarrassingly for wishing an automated virtual intelligence a good day.

Laszlo activated his INI and watched a brief tutorial on how to take off the helmet and armor. He pressed down on two sliding plates at the sides of the helmet then watched as all the pieces fold up into a compact rod. He then splits the two plates off the rod slowly as he pulls it down to his waist. All of the plates unfold again, this time, creating a belt. He tapped his cuffs together, which sent the suit rolling up back into the cuffs, leaving a little bit around the armor-belt, he then left the building and headed outside, only to find his three roommates outside the café waiting for him. "Dear god," he muttered as he approached them.

"What?" Cryph barked. "We're only here to support you."

"I don't want your support."

"Too bad, you got it anyway. No refunds. Good luck in there," Cryph added. "Nice gray belt, by the way."

Laszlo reached for his belt defensively. "Don't you talk about my belt."

Quentzel stepped forward. "Just show her your flashiest feathers. Maybe try dancing."

"Yeah," Qwop said. "Just go in there and show her that _you_ have the reddest ass here."

Laszlo laughed mockingly before entering the café. "Yeah, because you're a bird," he said, pointing to Quentzel. "And you're a monkey. That's funny." He looked at Cryph. "What? You have nothing to say? No witty comment or pun?"

Cryph thought a moment. "No, crustaceans don't really have any sort of mating ritual. But believe me, if I could give you the mask on my head, I would."

"That's very sweet of you," Laszlo said sarcastically before leaving.

A bell tinged as he entered and approached the counter. "Welcome," was the apathetic greeting he got.

"Yeah, I'll have a cappuccino, and one chocolate croissant," he requested, looking over his shoulder, making sure his friends weren't doing anything stupid.

"Coming right up," she answered, turning to the different machines. "Are you a part of Echo Company?" She asked while tending to the coffee.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"The belt," she said plainly. "Everyone from Echo Company is sporting their new belt."

"Oh," Laszlo laughed, again reaching for his belt defensively. "Right."

"Here you go," she said cheerfully handing him his order. "Have a good day."

"Yeah, you too," he said over his shoulder as he left. He figured the longer he was in there gave the trio waiting outside more time for different comments.

"So…," Cryph began. "How was it?"

"Amazing," Laszlo answered sarcastically. "I think we're going to get married. She wants me to meet her folks."

Cryph shook his head disappointedly. "Did you wet yourself? I bet you wet yourself."

"C'mon, Cryph. How about a little common courtesy?"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing if you did. These updated models turn waste into energy for the suits, so you should've anyway."

"Lovely, Cryph. Just lovely."

"Wait," Quentzel said, obviously holding on to a train of thought. "Is that true?" He directed the question towards Cryph, who nodded the answer. "Oh, cool. Learn something new every day." He looked back to Laszlo. "Did you even try dancing?"

"No, that's not as effective on humans," Laszlo answered.

Quentzel scoffed. "Not if I have anything to say about it. Do you know the Waltz?"

"The Waltz? You mean the five-hundred-year-old dance, the Waltz?"

"Yeah."

"No," Laszlo said bluntly, heading towards a flight of stairs leading to a big open area. "I did not try the Waltz." The other three began to follow him.

"What's a Waltz?" Qwop puzzled silently as they left.

Laszlo moved down the steps quickly in an effort to avoid more questions. Apparently, he had failed.

"What is that?" Cryph asked, eyes wide. "S…some sort of eclipse?"

Laszlo whipped around. "What's what?" he asked, before following Cryph's horrified stare to the sky.

There was a long black line on the horizon, which started to grow wider as a huge set of doors opened from the bottom of an invisible ship. The gaping black rectangle stopped moving, covering the majority of the horizon to the east. Anyone within view stared at it completely dumbstruck.

An instant later, a giant red monster fell from the hole in the sky. With a guark-like appearance, it landed far in the distance, completely crushing some small villages and mountains under its foot..

The ground rumbled beneath the stairs, with an enormous wave of dust blowing towards them. The impact caused some skyscrapers in the distance to collapse. Before they knew it, all four of them were on the ground.

An alarm blared, and the city's VI boomed over it, providing instructions. "Warning: the Sol system has been invaded. Find your way to the nearest evacuation shuttle." It repeated this a few more times before the audio died.

Cryph was coughing as he slowly got to his feet. "What was that?"

"What the hell?" Qwop wondered while getting up.

Quentzel was the first to get on his feet. "Holy shit," he commented, walking towards Laszlo, then helping him up. "Are you alright? You good?"

Laszlo nodded with a cough. "Yeah, I—I'm good. Guys?"

"Still alive," Cryph chimed through the dust.

"Still in one piece," Qwop answered after.

"Suit up," Laszlo instructed, tapping his cuffs together. The other three did the same, reaching for their belt once the black mesh was on properly. This time, they only tapped it on its side, sending the plates out to cover them, also activating their Friend or Foe (FOF) tags.

They started to make their way through the dust, which was blinding them. They grabbed the pieces and donned their helmets as they sprinted through an atrium, heading towards the station's flight deck.

The ground cracked open as the earth around them began to tremor. The enormous monstrosity causing the massive damage finally had stabilized itself, before beginning its first step.

It took almost a minute for the beast to get its other foot off the ground. Laszlo and the rest sprinted faster as they could see it overhead. It slammed down, triggering more earthquakes, also throwing Laszlo and the others to the ground. The monsters first step knocked the blue out of the sky, replacing it with a dusty haze.

Plates on their helmet moved around as Laszlo's INI announced, "Poor oxygen levels detected. Activating EVA mode."

Evacuation shuttles began leaving as they got to their feet once more. They double-timed it, heading towards the shuttles as fast as they could. More and more skyscrapers collapsed around them, knocking up more dust. The earthquake was constant as they found their way to the flight deck. Cryph busted into a shuttle as the others looked around.

Despite seeing others take flight, dozens of evac shuttles were scattered around the takeoff ramps. Cryph punched in commands to the control console. Quentzel and Qwop searched slightly to the right for survivors, Laszlo taking the left.

It was a pointless, but mandatory effort. Soldiers didn't leave each other behind. "C'mon, let's go!" Cryph shouted as he finished punching in the orders. Quentzel and Qwop scanned their area one last time before jumping aboard. Laszlo did the same, looking for any silhouettes beyond the dust. He finally jumped aboard and the door quickly closed behind him.

The shuttle hovered briefly before quickly taking off into the brown sky. Laszlo stared out the window, watching helplessly as his home was destroyed.

As they broke through the different stages of atmospheres, Laszlo got a better last look of Earth. The attack was much bigger than he thought. The monster over the middle-east was only one of a dozen, which trekked all across the planet.

Mount Everest was stepped on like an anthill. Some trudged through the oceans easily, others had to wade through it like a swamp as the tides changed dramatically. The beasts effectively stomped out Earth's atmosphere with no more than ten steps each. Afterwards, they all collapsed, nearly simultaneously, as if someone had hit an off switch now that their objective was complete.

They crumpled to the ground slowly. The impact of their fall was enough to reduce Earth to a barren brown rock. The water of the oceans floated through space aimlessly. All of the rock and dust slowly began to form a ring around what used to be earth, hugging it closely, far away from the moon.

After the dust had settled, all that remained of Earth was nothing more than a dark rock littered with a dozen giant lizards.


End file.
